Garry Kenneth
Defender Garry Kenneth joined Rovers in time for the start of the 2012–13 season, having recently left Dundee United. He had decided some time earlier that he would leave The Terrors on the expiry of his contract, hoping to secure a deal with an English Championship club, but when a move failed to materialise he was snapped up by Rovers manager Mark McGhee. He suffered a delayed start to his first season in Bristol thanks to a hamstring injury suffered in a pre-season friendly, which kept him out of the opening two games of the campaign, followed by a calf problem which flared up during the warm up for what was going to be his club debut against Barnet on 21 August. He eventually played his first match for The Pirates on 18 September 2012, in a 1–1 draw away to Plymouth Argyle, and scored his first goal on 6 October in a 3–1 victory over Northampton Town. His arrival in the Rovers starting eleven sparked an immediate upturn in form, following The Pirates' dismal start to the 2012–13 campaign. Prior to his introduction The Gas had lost five times and drawn twice in seven games, but managed to record much better results with him in the side. Following a long-term injury to club captain Matt Gill early in December 2012, Kenneth was given the responsibility of captaining the side, but just a month later Garry himself suffered a premature end to his season thanks to an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Career Garry played youth football with hometown club Dundee United, and turned professional with them in 2004. He spent his entire career prior to joining Rovers, with the exception of a loan spell at Cowdenbeath at the end of the 2006–07 season, with The Terrors. The management at Dundee United turned down repeated offers for Kenneth's services from Blackpool in 2010, feeling that their £500,000 offer was far short of their own valuation of the player. In November 2011 Garry announced his decision to leave Dundee United when his contract expired in the summer of 2012, stating that he hoped to sign for a Championship club in England. He was unable to find a team at that level, and eventually signed a three-year deal with League Two Bristol Rovers. Career stats Record against Rovers Garry has never faced Bristol Rovers in a competitive first team fixture. International career As well as being chosen to represent Scotland at under-19, under-20 and under-21 levels, Garry has twice been capped by the Scottish senior national team, both times in 2010. After Kenneth's manager at club level, Craig Levein, left to take charge of the national team, Garry suddenly found himself in contention for a place in the squad. He received his first senior squad call up in time for a friendly match against the Czech Republic on 3 March 2010, when he was named among the Scottish substitutes, but he would have to wait a further five months to make his debut on the pitch. His first cap came when he was selected in the starting XI in a friendly against Sweden on 11 August. He went on to play the full 90 minutes of the match, but this didn't help him establish himself as a regular fixture in the team. He would go on to win just one more cap, in a friendly against the Faroe Islands on 16 November 2010, when he came on as a 60th-minute substitute for Danny Wilson. Rovers nearly-man Rógvi Baldvinsson was named on the Faroes bench for this game, but did not play. International appearances :N.B. Scotland's score is always given first. (Source: BBC Sport) Category:Players Category:Defenders Category:Scottish internationals Category:21 June Category:Players born in 1987 Category:Players who joined in 2012 Category:Dundee United Category:Cowdenbeath